Cold and Dark: A Winter Fairy Tale
by Avril Lambert
Summary: Elsa has always been able to manipulate snow and ice. One day after playing in the storm Elsa created, her brother Jack falls through the ice. Everyone thinks he's dead and they blame Elsa. They fear her and she flees her kingdom. Elsa's sister, Anna, goes after her but is almost killed herself and is taken in by kind strangers. Elsa meets Pitch and they fall for each other.


Once upon a time there was a kingdom called Tanglewood. Tanglewood was ruled by a handsome and noble king and a beautiful and kind queen. Unlike most royal couples, they married out of love, rather than obligation and responsibility. It was obvious to anyone who saw them that they were truly happy.

The king, Kozmotis Pitchiner, was also a brave general and led his army to victory in every battle they were engaged. The people of the kingdom felt safe with King Kozmotis as their leader and the king and queen were beloved by all.

During a time of great peace, the kingdom rejoiced with the news that the queen was pregnant. The people of Tanglewood celebrated the future prince or princess, but none were as thrilled as the king and queen themselves. For they wanted a child of their own and now it seemed they would have their happy ending.

At least, so they thought. But Fate had her own dark plan.

The queen gave birth to a baby girl, but sadly the queen died during the child birth and never met her daughter. The daughter that had her father's dark hair and fair skin and her mother's beauty. The daughter that Kozmotis named Snow White; for his wife had loved the snow and winter dearly.

Kozmotis loved Snow White more than life itself, but there was still a growing hole in his heart where is wife had once been. As the years went on and Snow White grew up, his pain and sadness grew as well and he longed for the love he had once known. He tried to find another wife, for Snow White's sake because she needed a mother- but he just didn't love any other woman.

Snow White was all he had.

Until one day when Fate reared her ugly head once more.

One morning, shortly after Snow White's thirteenth birthday, Kozmotis went down to the dining hall at the usual time for their breakfast. After several minutes, however, Snow White did not come down to join him.

One of the female servants burst into the dining hall, only pausing briefly to bow to the king. She was panting as if she had run the entire length of the castle.

"Your Highness," she breathed.

"What is it?"

"It's the princess. She's ill, sire. The nurse is with her now."

Kozmotis was on his feet in an instant and hurried to his daughter's room. Her bedroom door was closed, but he didn't bother to knock before storming inside. Snow White was lying on her bed, still in her nightclothes, while the nurse stood over her. The nurse turned to acknowledge the king as he approached them.

"I'm afraid the princess has the fever," the nurse said. "It's best that you don't get too close until the doctor arrives and diagnoses her."

Kozmotis ignored her. He went to his daughter's side and took her hand in his. Her skin was so hot, that it was almost too much for him to handle. Still, he didn't let her go.

"It's going to be all right, sweetheart," Kozmotis told her in a soothing voice.

Snow White gave him a small smile, but then started coughing. Kozmotis reached out with his other hand and gently stroked her hair.

"Rest now, Dear Snow. The doctor will be here shortly to make you feel better," the king said.

Snow White nodded and let her eyes slowly close.

"I love you," Kozmotis told her.

"I love you, daddy," Snow White whispered.

Kozmotis stayed in Snow White's room until the doctor arrived. Two guards escorted him in, and then stood watch in the doorway. The doctor wasn't with Snow White long, before a look of horror crossed his face and he slowly backed away from the bed.

"What is it, Doctor?" Kozmotis asked, doing his best to conceal his panic.

The doctor looked up at him. "I'm sorry, your majesty. But, the princess has the plague."

"What?" Kozmotis cried out. "No! That can't be!" He hurried to her side, but the doctor pulled him away.

"You mustn't!" The doctor urged. "If you go near her, you will catch it as well. You have to leave the room immediately."

"I'm not leaving her!"

"You must. I promise I will do all I can for her." The doctor ushered the king out of the room. "In the meantime, have my assistant check all that reside here for the symptoms. Yourself, included."

"I don't want her to wake up alone."

"Sire, please."

"No!" Kozmotis shouted. "I'm not leaving her."

The doctor motioned for the guards. They came into the room and seized the king.

"Unhand me at once!" Kozmotis commanded.

"It's for your own good, your highness. You cannont go near your daughter."

The guards started to pull Kozmotis out of the room, but he fought against them. "No! Snow White!" He cried. Tears of fear threatened to escape from his eyes.

"Majesty, you will be no good to her if you die of this plague. Now, go have yourself checked immediately," the doctor demanded.

Kozmotis stopped fighting and slowly nodded. "If my daughter wakes up, tell her I will return shortly."

"Of course, Your Highness."

Kozmotis took one last look at the sleeping princess before doing as he was told.

Days went by and it was determined that the princess was the only one infected. She grew more and more ill and Kozmotis was forbidden to go into her room. He stayed in the hall outside her room, occasionally catching a glimpse of her when the doctor or one of the nurses would come and go. And he would sleep out there as well, being woken up at all hours to the sound of Snow White coughing violently.

On the fifth day, everyone came out of Snow White's bedroom and it was as if time stopped. The nurses were crying and left the doctor alone with the king.

"I'm sorry, your majesty," the doctor whispered. "We couldn't save her. The princess is gone."

"You lie!" Kozmotis bellowed, shoving the doctor to the ground. The doctor's head cracked against the stone floor, killing him on impact.

But, sad to say, the doctor had not lied. The young princess died that day, leaving Kozmotis completely alone. Her body was removed from the castle immediately in fear that the plague would spread.

Her funeral was held the next day. The king had her placed in a golden, glass coffin and buried next to her mother. The snow fell heavily that day freezing everything, including the king's heart.

The death of his wife and now his daughter was too much for Kozmotis. He let his heart turn to ice and in the years to follow, he ruled the kingdom with fear.

Tanglewood had once been a peaceful kingdom, but was now cloaked in the darkness from the ice storm in its ruler's heart. The people began to call him Pitch Black; The Nightmare King. And the kingdom fell into what would become known as The Dark Ages.


End file.
